


Stupid emotions

by Twilit



Series: Quadrants Explored [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-15
Updated: 2011-12-15
Packaged: 2017-10-27 08:59:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/294005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twilit/pseuds/Twilit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a taste of how human and troll emotions can conflict.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stupid emotions

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUUUUUUUUCK!"

When the door had been kicked in, John had already jumped a foot in the air. The swearing caused him to jump another foot thanks to the Windy Thing and when Vriska stomped hard enough to shake the room he pretty well smacked his head off the light fixture above his head. And by pretty well, the reality of it was he found himself curled into a ball on the head clutching his skull.

Ow.

"Oh god John, sorrrrrrrry!" Vriska's mood swung right around to worried as she dashed to his bed and crashed into the frame. Kneeling, she tried to look him in the eye. "Are you okay?"

She gingerly reached out and tried to brush at his hair. When he winced, she shrank back and tears filled her eyes. "Oh fuck I really can't do anything but hurt anyone."

She'd nearly turned and run away before John's arm shot out and grabbed her sleeve.

"Hey, don't worry about it, ok? It's just a bump. And I'm pretty thick headed, see?" He knocked himself on the head and suppressed another wince. "What's got you upset?"

Vriska reluctantly let herself be pulled towards the bed and John's embrace. She automatically tilted her head to avoid conking him with her horns and settled in against him. She nuzzled into his neck and he stroked her hair.

"Terezi was yelling at me again and then Karkat joined in and I just wanted to KILL them both but I'm being good and didn't but it's soooooooo harrrrrrrrd and I let myself get backed into a corner and and and then I ran. Oh god, I feel like shit why did I act so weak John why do I have to act so weak I'm stronger than them and I I i i..."

The rest was drowned in tears and wails as the troll broke down in his arms. John hugged her tightly and whispered soothing nonsense into her ears. Ever since he'd convinced her to try things other than violence and aggression, Vriska had become more erratically emotional. He'd talked to rose about it and she figured it was because Vriska really hadn't had any experience with much other than aggression, violence and overconfidence so her control over these emotions was tenuous at best. Vriska buried her face into the side of his neck as she sobbed and clutched at him. He let her drag him flat onto the bed and as they lay there, he stroked and scratched at her hair. Slowly, her grip loosened and her sobs became less frequent. John took that as his cue.

"Hey there, you're not acting weak. It's a tactical retreat, giving ground and not fighting battles worth fighting." It had taken some tries, even after she'd come back and shown a willingness to reform, but he'd found a way of framing new behvaiour that made sense to her.

"I know! I kept telling myself that! But it still hurrrrrrrrt." John could practically feel the tears welling up. It was like his own eyes stung in sympathy and his heart certainly ached.

"Hey, you were always the one who said pain makes us stronger. It'll pass."

"Yeah. It already is." She snuggled into him. "Thanks to you."

John flushed bright red. He'd known what he was getting into as Vriska's moirail, but there wasn't a day that went by that he wasn't surprised at her behaviour. Karkat had been right - pale romance was still romance and it set his heart beating like nothing else. He wasn't sure he was built for a complicated romance system like the trolls, but he was trying his hardest. Vriska deserved it.

As the moments stretched on, their breathing deepened. Eventually, John ventured the question, "Why were Terezi and Karkat yelling at you?"

Vriska tensed and John could tell that she was readying a defense for something she really believed. Which was interesting.

"I was teasing Tavros again. Now wait just a second! I know we're out of the game, but that doesn't mean we have to give up being stronger! And he's clearly the wussiest of all of us, I'm just trying to inspire him to more."

John nodded sagely and acceptingly, but... "But Vriska, you, ah, you killed him in the game. Don't you think that might scare him more than inspire him?"

Vriska shifted beside him and he could imagine the scrunched up face she was making, clear as day. He could see every line and crease, how her teeth and fangs bit into her bottom lip and oh god he was so in love with this girl what the hell was he going to do. Stupid emotions.

"But I just wanted to help like beforrrrrrre."

He nodded again, "Yeah, but think of how it looks to the others. You're acting just like you did before and how did that end?"

Claws dug into his chest, "But I promised I wouldn't hurt anyone again!"

"You promised me, Vriska. You didn't promise anyone else. And I know you'll live up to that, but they don't." He laid a hand on her fist on his chest. "Here. Tomorrow we'll have a feelings jam and you can sort out all your feelings. Then I'll call a meeting and you can tell everyone exactly how you feel."

"But I'll be all blubbery and stupid and not able to talk properly! You know what you do to me John! I, I can't go in front of them like that! Whenever we're done, I feel like the world makes sense and isn't out to get me and it's almost happy and bright and and and and I can't deal with that look at me John, look at the mess I'll look like!"

John looked down into Vriska's demanding glare and his heart nearly broke. Streaks of blue ran freely down her cheeks, a mix of make-up and tears. Vriska's sharp nose twitched constantly as she tried to stop sniffling and her lips were swollen from biting. John moved his hand up to her face and wiped away the tears.

"I see a beautiful, honest troll who will convince everyone that she's on the up and up. You're gonna be amazing."

Now Vriska really did sniffle and better yet, she cracked a smile. "You are such a sap John."

"Yup!"

She let out a low laugh and rolled off him. For a brief moment, his arms ached from the loss, but she'd only repositioned herself. Lying on the bed properly, she hauled him bodily off his back, onto the bed and into her arms. They tightened comfortably around him. One of his hands naturally found her hair and horns and the other rested loosely beside them. As he stroked her black tresses she murmured pleasantly,

"Ok, we'll try your way tomorrow. You've been preeeeeeeetty good to me so far, I can trust you further. But tonight you're going to keep me warm and safe, especially if I'm risking my reputation tomorrow!"

John propped himself up and looked down at the beautiful woman on his bed. Idly, he traced around her horns and she purred softly, regarding him through heavy-lidded eyes.

"You're not risking anything. You'll still be amazing at the end of it, Vris." He leaned down and kissed her forehead before snuggling himself up against her.

He never saw her mouth open and close nor did he see her slowly flush blue. Vriska simply ran her fingers through his hair in return. "Thank you, John. You're the best... moirail ever."

He murmured back, through golden fabric and against her throat, "So are you. And you're totally worth it."

Eventually, both drifted off to sleep, ferried off in a haze of warmth, security and love.

**Author's Note:**

> wait wat i wrong not!porn
> 
> shocking
> 
> suffering from writer's block/inspiration for porn, saw sappy doodle, was inspired, scribbled this.
> 
> In all honesty, I usually ship VriskaxJohn as full on flushed, but part of this is to figure out quadrants and how they could work, so I tried this. Lemme know what you think, lovelies. No chatlogs, because they seemed... cheap.


End file.
